Objective: To describe and explore the relationship between weather and the unusual 2020 bronchiolitis season in Western Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Correlation of meteorological data and presentations of infants with bronchiolitis through the ED of Perth Children's Hospital.
Results: The 2020 bronchiolitis epidemic showed a reversal of the usual seasonal pattern. There were no weather events to account for this phenomenon.
Conclusions: The bronchiolitis outbreak showed no relationship to local weather patterns. State-mandated COVID-19 public health measures appear as the likely rationale.
Keywords: COVID-19; bronchiolitis; paediatrics; respiratory syncytial virus.
© 2022 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.